Four-Year Postoperative Evaluation of Radial Keratotomy

Abstract

In this issue of the Archives, Deitz and Sanders¹ provide us with the first four-year follow-up results of 109 eyes that underwent radial keratotomy between November 1979 and January 1981. They were able to examine 81 eyes of 55 patients one year (eight to 18 months) and four years (31 to 57 months) after surgery. The mean interval between these two examinations was 33.6 months, with a range of 18.1 to 45.9 months; in seven eyes, the interval was less than 24 months. During early American experience See also p 782. with radial keratotomy, surgery was performed using steel blades and 16 incisions. Fifty-six of the first 65 operations reported by Deitz and Sanders were performed with surgical redeepening of the wounds.² It is not clear whether topical glucocorticoids, occlusive pressure patching, or topical medications were used to decrease intraocular pressure in undercorrected and overcorrected eyes. Analysis of